UPDATES WITH LATEST DEATH TOLL; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE
By Muhammed Emin Canik
The number of Palestinians killed from a massive Israeli air assault against the Gaza Strip has risen to 1,900, the Health Ministry said Friday.
In a statement, the ministry said that 614 children and 370 women were among the people killed in Israeli attacks.
Calling for an end to the Israeli attacks, the statement said that the number of wounded people has risen to 7,696, including 2,000 children and 1,400 women.
A total of 15 health care personnel has also lost their lives, and 27 others have been injured in the Israeli attacks, it added.
Furthermore, the statement said that Gaza’s Al-Durra Children's Hospital was struck with white phosphorus bombs by the Israeli army and that patients and staff were transferred to El Nasr Children's Hospital.
The deteriorating health care system in Gaza was emphasized in the statement and a call was made for the establishment of safe corridors to facilitate the evacuation of the wounded people, as well as for the delivery of fuel, medical supplies, and health care personnel to the region.
In a dramatic escalation of Middle East tensions, Israeli forces launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.
The conflict began last Saturday when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air.
Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.
The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.
Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.